Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The iPad mini, officially announced by Apple on Tuesday, features a 7.9-inch display that can run software already written for previous iPads, and starts at $329 for a 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi-only model.At 0.7-millimeters thin, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller also said it's as "thin as a pencil," and is 53 percent lighter than the latest iPad, at 0.68 pounds. It comes in black and white colors.

Preorders for the iPad mini, along with the new fourth-generation iPad, will begin this Friday. The Wi-Fi-only model will launch a week later, with the cellular-capable model to follow.

Schiller also boasted that the device can be held with one hand, as it features a thinner bezel on the sides. It also has access to more than 275,000 applications written for the iPad platform.

In a comparison with the Nexus 7, Schiller noted that the iPad mini is made of metal and comfortable to hold in one hand. The iPad mini also has a larger 7.9-inch display that gives 29.6 square inches of space, compared to just 21.9 square inches for the Nexus 7.

"The iPad mini is actually over a third larger display area," Schiller said.

When Android controls are taken into account, the display area of a website is 49 percent larger on the iPad mini in portrait as well. And in landscape orientation, the iPad mini offers 67 percent more screen real estate.

He also compared what the Yelp application looks like on the iPad mini, designed specifically for tablets. In contrast, the Android-based Nexus 7 features an application written for smaller smartphone screens.

The iPad mini has an A5 chip, FaceTime HD camera, 5-megapixel iSight camera, LTE connectivity, faster Wi-Fi, and the new Lightning connector. It also features 10 hours battery life, matching the fourth-generation iPad.

It also has its own entirely new Smart Cover that does not have a separate aluminum hinge. The new design is made of just one material.